Ultimate Avatar
by Kerica
Summary: Two strangers that speak Elvin show up in Ba Sing Se looking for Aang. They are Air Benders from another set of Nations. How is this possible? Why do they want Aang? Zuko's mother, Ursa, is alive? What other secrets will be revealed? :TophOC: :ch2 up:
1. Brother and the Sister

You want a Disclaimer? Go look on my main page.

Key

"Elvin Dialog" **Meaning**

_'Thoughts...'_

_"Dirt writing"_

_**'Telepathic speaking...'**_

The Brother and the Sister

Zuko opened his eyes and saw a white light surrounded him. He decided to ask the most typical question, since that more or less got an answer; "Where am I?" The last thing he remembered he was in his study trying to figure out plans for the next place on the list that needed the most help in rebuilding what was lost during the war.

"I have brought you here, Fire Lord Zuko," A soft and reassuring male voice said.

Zuko raised an eyebrow. After a year, he was still getting used to being called that. Typical question number two; "Why?"

"To inform you about my sister and I, who will be arriving in Ba Sing Se in a few weeks. Around the time you and your friends are supposed to meet for your…monthly 'ketchup' time, as Warrior Sokka put it," the person informed him with a chuckle.

Zuko took note of the small burst of laughter, figuring it would be the first thing he noticed before the stranger spoke in real life. He was certainly in dream-state, that was the only explanation for the white surroundings, the voice of a person he could not see, and the fact said voice knew his name…then again being Fire Lord, everyone knew his name. What about how he knew Sokka? Duh, Sokka helped the Aang, the Avatar. He palmed his forehead, "Mai said I think too much…"

"Then I will leave you to rest. You might want to think about sneaking away to start your journey with Mai as soon as possible, so none of your servants or guards follow you. You can also be in Ba Sing Se early and be on the lookout for us," the stranger stated.

"Be on the lookout for you? How can I be on the lookout when I don't even know what you look like? I don't even know your name!" Zuko stated back irritated.

"Be calm, Fire Lord Zuko," the male said soothingly. The Wind whirled about and then a figure made a shy wave. The outfit he was wearing was extremely similar in style to Aang's, but with certain differences. His top was exact, but without the collar and orange shoulder-cloak. His pants were orange held by a red sash and he had brown boots, and a cream colored cloak kept his face shadowed.

Zuko took the new person in as best he could. The person in front of him was around 5ft 10, and his build was medium…possibly muscled not from fighting, but from constant training. He noticed the three swirls on the broach that held his cloak together, "That symbol…but how? I thought all Air Benders were extinct!"

"They are…True Air Benders at least. However, that doesn't mean descendants don't have the same power. Over time all it is, is that it has been watered down. Though, it's stronger in her than it is me, really. I have other specialties…" the stranger shrugged and then sighed, rubbing his forehead, "My time with you runs short, Fire Lord Zuko. I can only keep this up for so long. I hope you understand?"

"Yes…of course," Zuko sighed, "I will not keep you from your sister any longer. You said she was weakened…but not ill…what happened?"

"We passed through a Fire Nation prison just the other day…ran into an old woman from the Southern Water Tribe…A Blood Bender she called herself…Hama I think was her real name," the descended Air Bender explained. He bowed once more, "Namaarie." **Farewell**. With that, the Wind whirled again and he was gone.

Zuko closed his eyes against the whip of the breeze and the white light vanished. He opened his eyes again and woke up in his own bed. Looking to his side he saw a content Mai asleep by his side and figured she had been the one to put him there. He smiled softly and cuddled closer to her before retuning back to the sweet world of sleep.

* * *

"Brother? Are we almost there?" a weak voice asked. It was two weeks after she had that encounter with Hama, but she was still so tired and felt ill but had no fever…her "seal cough" was proof enough, though, for anyone who bothered. As she looked up at the sky she saw just a sliver of the moon and felt better. The past three days she'd been extremely sick and also during those nights it had been the New Moon. She had just started recovering today.

"We'll be at the wall in the morning, sister, and then by early afternoon we'll be somewhere where you can rest and relax from the long travel," the brother said gently. He snapped the rains slightly and sped the horses a bit faster. Yesterday, thankfully, they had crossed a merchant town and had been given a carriage so he could carry his sister easier to Ba Sing Se.

"Alright, that sounds good," the sister smiled softly as her black lemur with white trimmings and purple eyes leapt up. She moved aside her cream cloak, matching to her brother's, so the big-eared critter could curl up against her chest, and then covered him. She wore the same kind of outfit as her brother, but the colors were switched. Her top was the same, but her baggy pants were red while her sash was orange, and she had black flat shoes.

"Try to sleep," he requested softly, "Ventus will take care of you."

She petted the little lemur named Ventus, "I know…and you will, too?"

"Always…I will, too."

* * *

"Zuko, are you alright?" Iroh asked his nephew who was looking at the door, "That's the sixth time you've looked at the door since noon."

"Not counting the other three dozen times since we got here this morning," Mai stated with a sigh.

Zuko rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, "Um…I'm just wondering where Sokka and Suki are," he half-lied. The truth was he was worried that the brother with the sick sister hadn't been able to get through the wall. He had gotten here a week early, as suggested, and informed the needed officials about them, and not to do anything to people wearing colors similar to Aang's and carrying same symbol as well. They had told him they would do their best to make sure the two also got to _The Jasmine Dragon_ safely…but he still worried if "get there early" hadn't meant doing what he had done in order to help.

"Toph is with them, they'll be fine," Katara waved an unconcerned hand.

"Not what I'm worried about, but alright…" Zuko sighed, "Never mind…they'll be here when they want."

* * *

"Come on, Toph! We're late!" Suki called behind her.

"Hang on, I feel a carriage coming. I'd rather not be toppled over by horses," Toph shook her head.

"Oh, well, that's different," Sokka agreed and pulled Suki out of the way just in time as a small cloud of dust showed in the distance and the horses showed before the carriage and then two similar-looking people came towards them. They stopped, though, when they reached Toph.

The male who was driving the carriage had ocean blue eyes, and his hair was caramel colored, shaggy get sort of spiked, and the strips that framed his face were dark brown. He smiled kindly at the three of them, but then saw the girl wearing green was blind, but her blank eyes were mint-green colored. He chuckled and got down. He saw her gasp and back up, frowning and narrowing her eyes. He shifted his stance, and she calmed. He placed his hand near her ear and made his cloak rustle, before setting his hand on her shoulder. He tugged gently, trying to see if she would understand the simple gesture.

Toph's eyes were wide. His movements…they were light, like Twinkle Toes, but he was shifting so weirdly…like he didn't want her to shout it out. The rustle of his cloak…she had seen what it was, because the air brushing through her made her see like she did with her feet. The tugging… "Do you want me to follow you?" he tugged again, "Okay…" She walked with him to the other side of the carriage and as he bent down to the ground he shifted and she somehow knew he didn't want her to do the same.

Sokka and Suki blinked. Sokka folded his arms, "What are we? Chopped liver?"

"Sokka, I don't think they're bad people…" Suki said placing her hand on his shoulder soothingly.

"How do you figure?" Sokka raised an eyebrow.

"Well, look at their outfits," Suki motioned to the girl whose ocean blue eyes widened. The Kyoshi Warrior watched as she placed a hand over the broach and closed the cloak around her body to hide the outfit. She blinked and realized they were trying to stay secret, at least for now.

"What do you mean?" Sokka asked curiously.

"Never mind, let's just watch Toph," Suki smiled as Sokka shrugged.

Toph stared at the speedy display of what she guessed to be kanji writing. She couldn't read of course, being blind, but somehow, as she watched more and more, she began to understand. _'Finally, someone who thought to use the dirt to teach me something I don't know…'_ she smiled lightly. Time went on, and what she thought to be an hour, even more, was only just about five minutes. By the time he was done and the slate on the ground was like he had never written a thing, she understood what took years for others to learn…how to read and understand kanji, and no doubt she could write it as well now. Just by using the dirt…

"Wow…" was all she had to say.

The stranger smiled and wrote in the Earth, _"I am glad you understand. Now I have a few questions to ask you."_

Toph began to bend down to kneel and write as well, and was glad he didn't move to signal her to stop. She wrote, _"Ask away. It is the least I can do for your lesson."_

"_I have been traveling for a while with my sister who is in the carriage,"_ he explained first, _"Typically; we came here from a far away land, seeking the Avatar. It is not urgent, quite the contrary. It is more a quest to teach him some things he might be interested in. However, this is our first time in Ba Sing Se. I got help from Fire Lord Zuko so we could enter this place, but I am afraid we still do not know our way around. We are looking for _The Jasmine Dragon_. At least…I am, so my sister can stay there and rest while I find us a place to stay."_

"_Why are you keeping this a secret? Can you not talk?"_ Toph asked.

He readily laughed at that, _"I am not mute, thank you, and neither is my sister. I am sorry to say that I caught onto my sister's riddle ways and like to keep people guessing and wondering instead of getting to the point. So, we use a foreign language to mask what we say until we can speak normally. All will be revealed in time…"_

"_If you want it secret, then why are you telling me? I can easily turn around and spill all of this to Sokka and Suki over there and then to the rest of my friends,"_ Toph stated rather matter-of-factly.

"_You are a lot of things, Toph, I can tell that just by looking at you and the way you're writing. You're blank mint-green eyes may be blind, but they tell more than you know. I can see you are not one to betray others. Also, I trust you with this. Besides, you will probably only need to keep it for a couple days," _he promised.

"_A couple days as in sometime tomorrow, right? Or couple days as in two days?"_ Toph asked. She didn't know what 'mint-green' was, but she figured with this guy, she would figure it out another time.

He chuckled, _"I speak in riddles, I know…but I blame it on my sister who caught me in them all the time when we were young. I learned to play her game, but then it grew on me. Yes, sometime tomorrow…"_

"_Let me, Sokka, and Suki take your sister to _The Jasmine Dragon_. We are going there anyway for some time together with our friends,"_ Toph told him.

"_May I accompany you? I'd like to be able to find it if I need to,"_ the stranger requested.

Toph thought for a moment, _"Sure, alright, that sounds good."_ She didn't write any more, just stood up.

The man stood up also, "Ya auta yeste'?" **Who's leading?**

Toph raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean?" That didn't sound like any Japanese, Chinese, or any other language she'd heard of.

"_It's Elvin, the foreign language I told you about. I was asking who was leading,"_ the stranger wrote in the dirt quickly with his boot before wiping it away. He climbed in the carriage and turned it around. He repeated, "Ya auta yeste'?"

"Oh…Um, Sokka's leading," Toph pointed to the said teenager.

"FINALLY! We've been noticed!" Sokka shouted sarcastically/excitedly throwing his hands up in the air.

Suki giggle as well as the stranger girl, "I knew we would be eventually, Sokka. It's all about being patient," she soothed patting his shoulder. She tugged his hand, "Let's introduce ourselves to the strangers, okay?"

"Okay," Sokka nodded.

The two walked over and Suki held her hand out to the stranger, "Hi, I'm Suki, from the Kiyoshi Warriors. This is Sokka from Southern Water Tribe," she motioned to her crush.

"Hi there," Sokka waved cheerfully.

Suki giggled, "It's a pleasure to meet you…um…"

"Tharsirion," the stranger smiled shaking his hand, "Saesa omentien lle, Suki," **Pleasure meeting you, Suki.**

Suki giggled, "You use an…interesting language."

"It's Elvin," Toph told her.

"Elvin? How can you tell?" Sokka asked.

"He told me," Toph answered.

"When?! I didn't hear him say anything," Sokka narrowed his eyes at Tharsirion.

"He used the dirt and wrote Kanji. I understood it perfectly," Toph shrugged.

"You can't read, though! You're blind!" Sokka protested.

Toph ignored him and looked at Tharsirion, "Can I call you Thar?"

Tharsirion chuckled and nodded his approval. Only his sister called him that, but he supposed now things would change a lot. He admired how she completely ignored Sokka in order to avoid answering his question by talking to him.

Sokka narrowed his eyes with Toph patted his shoulder, "Why did you ignore me like that?"

"All will be revealed in time," Toph repeated what Thar told her with a grin. She then went back and actually willingly gave up her ability to see with her feet and climbed up in the seat next to Tharsirion and Suki just went to walk with Sokka. Together they all traveled to _The Jasmine Dragon_.

* * *

Zuko glanced at the door just in time to see Sokka and Suki come in, "Hi! What took you all so long? Where is Toph?" he asked excitedly going over to them.

"Aren't we excited today?" Sokka raised an eyebrow and shrugged before going over to his and Suki's usual table, "Why are you so worked up?"

"Oh…no reason in particular. It's just that we only get so many days to get together and talk; I just don't want to waste any of the time we all have together," Zuko said reasonably.

Suki giggled, "Toph is out with a guy she met. His sister will be in shortly with her while the brother goes off to get them a place to stay.

As she said that, there were people talking right outside the door. "Cormamin niuve tenna' ta elea lle au'…" **My heart shall weep until it sees thee again.** It was Tharsirion who spoke.

"Tenna' ento lye omenta," **Until we next meet.** A sweet female voice giggled.

"Enough small-talk you two. Let's go, they're waiting," Toph's voice easily huffed.

"Namaarie!" the girl called laughing.

"Namaarie," Thar sighed before the sound of the carriage sped off.

Zuko stared at the door as Toph and a woman, around 5ft even in height came in. The strange girl had long, chocolate brown colored hair tied in a braid, and framing her face were caramel strips with twists at the ends. Her ocean blue eyes sparkled happily as she looked around the room, but she also seemed embarrassed since she knew no one. Namaarie… and the way the man outside had said it…it had to be them.

Toph led the girl to her table, but as she sat down the stranger shook her head before turning to go towards the counter. She shrugged, knowing Zuko would deliver her usual in a few minutes.

The girl smiled at Iroh when she was about halfway, but then as Zuko was about to set down the tray of teas at the table with Aang and Katara, Aang got up to come greet her, not noticing his staff accidentally sent Zuko flying off his feet. "Tira ten' rashwe!" **Look out!** She called to Katara, who the teas were flying right at.


	2. Engagement

**Disclaimer - I OWN NOTHING except the idea for the story and the Original Characters that pop up as you go**

Key -

"Elvin Dialog" **Meaning**

_'Thoughts...'_

'_**Telepathic speaking...'**_

Engagement

The sister manipulated her body and appeared right next to Katara. She caught the tea cups and then as the tea was flying down she caught the two different colors…one green tea and the other peppermint…in the two separate cups, and then set one down in front of Katara and the other where Aang would be sitting if he wasn't helping Zuko to his feet.

Katara blinked and took a sip of hers, cringed, and switched the cups so she had green tea and Aang had peppermint. She took a sip of that one, and sighed contently. She watched the stranger, "Thank you…I could've gotten it."

The girl nodded and chuckled, "Amin n'ruwa ta." **I don't doubt it.** She continued to the counter to see what they had for teas.

Katara blinked, "Amin…what?"

Aang chuckled and sipped his tea, "I don't think she meant you wrong," he soothed rubbing her shoulder.

"Lle quena I'lambe tel' Eldalie?" **Do you speak Elvish?** She asked Iroh curiously.

"'Quel andune," **Good afternoon** Iroh greeted her smiling brightly.

"Aaye," **Hail** the sister greeted back raising an eyebrow. That was a good enough answer for her.

"Mani naa essa en lle?" **What's your name? **Iroh asked.

"Castiel," she smiled. She looked at the list on a bored overhead and thought about what she wanted to have. She winced and covered her mouth as she coughed.

"Oh, you're ill! Here, let me make you some special Jasmine tea. It'll make you feel better, I promise," Iroh smiled and turned to go into the kitchen.

Castiel reached and stopped him from going too far. She took out a box from her cloak and placed it on the table. Pulling back the lid she showed they were sugar cubes, "Nelde," **Three**. She held up three fingers with a smile. She rubbed her throat and patted her chest, trying to motion that she used them for her illness.

Toph was glad she was at a good angle to see with her feet what was going on. She could also smell what was in what she guessed was a box. She called to Iroh, "I think the sugar cubes have some sort of medicine in them, and she can only take it when it's in a liquid, like the tea you're going to make her."

"Ah, yes, that makes sense. Thank you, Toph," Iroh smiled and took the box with him into the kitchen.

Castiel wrote 'thank you' in the dirt and then turned and looked around the room. She knew everyone of course, due to the fact she had studied short stories about all of them from the few travels she and her brother had made to get to where they were. It wasn't much compared to what they themselves could tell, but it was enough. She decided to examine them now that she was in person, just for fun and to pass the time…

Aang was 13. He had grown a lot it seemed, and was losing his baby cheeks. Villagers said he was rather short – 5ft 2 was the estimated guess someone had given her – but she saw he was maybe 5ft 5 now, and growing even more. He may be weighed only 120 lb, with those muscles, but he was very slim. He was filling out to look more like a young man, not a boy, with strong biceps and long legs. He was even starting to show a four pack. Still all in development, though, but she doubted Katara minded at all, with the way she cuddled against the Avatar contently sipping her tea.

The said Water Princess was 15. She was around 5ft 3, comparing her to Aang's height, and she was slim and slender. However, that did not hurt in any way. She was filling out great everywhere, had sexy curves, and she was shorter than Aang, so that worked out great. Moreover, she was a Princess in her own right, so she and the Avatar were two pieces of a great puzzle. She knew they only came for Aang, but Castiel could tell the two would not be able to be separated for as long as they would need to teach Aang back in their own Nations.

Looking on to another couple, Castiel spotted the two that had led the way to _The Jasmine Dragon_, Sokka and Suki. Suki was the first one she looked at. She was 16, around 5ft 4, and totally beautiful…curves, filled out in all the right places, and slim, all of it well shaped because she was a female warrior on Kyoshi Island.

Sokka, the Warrior of the Southern Tribe, was also 16. He was 5ft 8, just an inch shorter than her brother was. He trained a lot, especially with his meteorite sword, and he trained in other ways, that is how his muscles developed of course. He was a joker as well as a warrior, an interesting combination, and again, she could see that those two stuck together like glue.

Zuko…Zuko, 17 years of age, 6ft tall, muscular but not overly intimidating. He was also the Fire Lord. An absolute great leader at that, what with the way he was fixing all the wrong done in the last century, and creating an Era of Pease. He had yet to find his mother, and Castiel grew a mysterious smile while watching him. Secretly, before the ship left and they were finished getting orders from their own teachers, a cloaked woman came up to them. It had been Ursa, Zuko's mother, requesting that even if he could not come with them back to the Nations, to at least let him know she was alive.

Castiel took the other box she had hidden and looked at it. What was inside she did not know, since only Zuko had the key, but the design was enough to tell it was from a Fire Nation Queen. Sighing softly, she looked towards Mai. The young woman was 17, gloomy but secretly extremely passionate, very beautiful, and by the way she moved it was easy to tell she was pregnant. Zuko looked at her with such love, and they brushed against each other so innocently, there was no doubt she would become the Fire Nation Queen.

Really, the only person left to examine was Toph. She was 13, like Aang, but was just now starting to grow up. She had grown a bit taller, from about 5ft to 5ft2, and probably only weighed 105 lb. She was just gaining some figure, and her legs were longer, though very strong. Everything about her stated that she was an earth bender. From the way she had watched her brother act around her in the short amount of time they had been together, Toph had to come along with them. She had no one by her side, anyway, so it would be great for all of them.

She turned when she heard Iroh coming back and smiled at him, "Diola lle," **Thank you.**

"Sana sina…Hama sinome," **Take this…Have a seat**. Iroh smiled and motioned towards Toph.

She nodded and walked towards the earth bender, sitting next to her. She took a sit of her tea, smiling as the warmth traveled down her throat, "Ah…"

Toph looked at her, "You decided to sit next to me, eh? No one usually does."

"That's because they have their own love to be by, and you feel uncomfortable otherwise," Castiel smiled.

The room went dead silent.

"What?" Castiel looked around, confused.

"So you _can_ talk our language," Sokka stated.

Castiel laughed, "It's not that I couldn't, I just like to riddle, get people guessing and then prove them right or wrong, depending on their thoughts. In which case, you thought I couldn't speak Japanese, when clearly I can."

Sokka glared and folded his arms, "I don't like you."

"Sokka!" Suki chided, "She just told you were wrong, that's all."

"But the way she said it made me feel…" Sokka paused.

"Inferior?" Toph suggested smirking.

"I'm sorry," Castiel soothed, "I did not mean to offend. Lle naa belegohtar."

"And that means?" Sokka narrowed his eyes.

"You are a mighty warrior," Castiel smiled, "I can tell by the well your body is built. You train hard, even though the war is over."

"Well, you never know when things might go wrong somewhere and I'm called to help," Sokka reasoned.

"Quite right," Castiel smiled.

"So…what's your name?" Aang asked eagerly.

"Castiel," she nodded politely, "You may call me Cast if you wish."

"Great!" Aang smiled.

"So…why did you and your brother come here?" Zuko asked carefully.

Cast watched him, and took another sip of her tea, "Tharsirion and I came because we were sent to get Aang, and take him back to the Nations, where we are from."

"Nations? Like the Fire Nation?" Aang frowned.

"No, no," Cast shook her head, "The world is bigger than it seems. We are from an unknown place called the Nations, sometimes called the Continents. There we have creatures of old, like Ventus here," she petted the black lemur that came from under her coat to take a sip of her tea. He looked just like Momo, but colors were flipped and his eyes were purple, "And Flying Bison…creatures many thought extinct long ago during the Fire Nation Wars. We have creatures also not heard of before. You might know the Earth King's bear? Many like that live where I am from."

"Let me guess, that's just the beginning of the wonders you have there?" Mai asked in her monotone voice.

Cast giggled, "Yes, honestly. There are many things different yet the same about my homeland. One think I think you, Zuko, might find of interest…"

"And that would be?"

"Well…one of two things, but the second can wait," She brought out the box and used her air bending to send it to him, "Your mother, Zuko, resides there. She said to give that box to you."

Zuko paled as he held the box. He brought a shaky hand to his neck and then he brought out a key from under his shirt. He was silent all the way through, and then he opened the box, showing generations of trinkets held inside. Lots were locks of hair, some were little containers of blood, many were gemstones like amber and ruby and garnet and some flakes of gold. At the very top, though, was a ring only the Fire Nation Queen wore, and had worn throughout all sides of time.

He took it out gingerly, as if it was made of glass, and shut the box, putting it in a safe place in his pocket. He turned to Mai and brought her out of the seat they were in. Zuko knelt while Mai's eyes widened, and he held her hand, "Mai…Will you marry me and become the Queen of the Fire nation, and sit alongside me forever?" he not only asked, but there was a tone of pleading in his voice.

Mai let her emotions show for the first time in a very long time, and she tackled Zuko to the ground, "Yes, Zuko, I will," she agreed kissing him.

Zuko laughed in relief and love and they stood, and he placed the ring on her finger. Everyone clapped as they kissed again.


End file.
